Cat Health Resources

My recommended must have cat health resources start with your own veterinarian. Obviously no online resource, book, or website can substitute for local veterinary care.

Sadly, cats reportedly do not visit the veterinarian enough. I've had people tell me to my face that "cats don't need to visit the vet like dogs do." Dog doo doo is right!

This is one of the reasons why throughout the site I remind people over and over again that for any suspected health problem, your cat should be checked by a qualified veterinarian. Cats are extremely good at hiding signs of illness, pain and discomfort.

Don't let your cat fool you. Take him or her to the vet.

You should have your vet's office number and emergency numbers handy at all times: on your refrigerator, in your wallet, on speed dial, in your cell phone.

Some vets offer their own refrigerator magnets with emergency and office numbers on them. That's great, but you also need to have a plan and know what to with that number should you need it.

Ask your vet about their after hours and emergency services policy. Will you be calling a service? (Probably) Are there multiple veterinarians who do on-call rotations? Do all of these vets have extensive experience with cats? Would you be bringing your cat to their office, or do they use perhaps a 24/7 animal clinic or vet hospital?

If your cat has a health issue in the middle of the night, what will you do? You should know these answers before hand. Saving time may mean saving lives. Hopefully, you'll never have to use the emergency number, but you should be prepared.

If your veterinarian is not near enough to you, you should scout the area for an emergency animal hospital near you, and keep that number available as well. Ask them about their emergency policies.

The rest of the resources below are a smorgasbord providing pet and cat health information from various sources.

If there's a veterinary college near you, that's another potential resource should you need it. The Cornell Feline Health Center offers a number of cat health resources and services, some of which can be done long distance over the phone.

Cat Food And Poisoning

The cat health resources below focus on food and toxins. The tragic and very public pet food recall incidents of the past 15 years, especially the one in 2007 have made pet owners more aware of the need to stay informed.

What many people don't know, however, is that thousands of cases of poisoning occur every year due to household items. Human medication, household cleaning products, insecticides, and house plants can all be toxic to the point of being deadly to cats.

Spay/Neuter Resources

In case Bob Barker and Betty White didn't drive the point home, we need to spay and neuter our pet cats and dogs. Giving them a home is an obvious move, but no matter how careful we are, "accidents" will happen, and nature does what it does.

I was talking to a man and his daughter the other day. A neighbor had to give up their cat, and they took her in. The cat got out, and now it looks like we're going to have kittens. This is one of many thousands of stories.

It doesn't have to be this way. There are a number of low cost and possibly in some cases, no cost options.

The content on cat-lovers-only.com is for education and information only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For medical advice about your cat, please see your veterinarian.